Kylian Mbappe delivered a devastating four-goal performance to drag Real Madrid past Olympiacos in a chaotic 4-3 Champions League win and then mocked the home supporters for heckling him in “bad French” during the warm-up. The forward went on to score four goals as the Spanish giants edged past their counterparts in Greece on Wednesday.
Mbappe silences hostile crowd with four-goal display
Madrid’s trip to Greece produced one of the wildest games of the Champions League season, and once again, it was Mbappe who turned chaos into control. Olympiacos struck first through Chiquinho, sending their home crowd into a frenzy, the same fans who had mocked the striker before kick-off in broken French. But the atmosphere changed dramatically as the Madrid superstar responded with one of the most explosive bursts of scoring in his career. The forward levelled the match in the 22nd minute, finishing coolly after being sent through one-on-one. Two minutes later, he rose to power home Arda Guler’s cross. And before the half-hour mark, he had completed a breathtaking hat-trick by burying a ball over the top from Eduardo Camavinga.
Mbappe wasn’t finished. He added his fourth in the 59th minute, taking his tally to 22 goals this season, including nine in just five Champions League games. His second hat-trick of the Champions League campaign and fifth overall in the competition put him closer to overtaking Raul on the all-time scoring list. Olympiacos kept punching, but Mbappe punched harder. And after the match, he finally addressed the taunts that had greeted him during his warm-up, setting the stage for his post-match reaction.
AdvertisementAFPMadrid star laughs off Olympiacos heckling
The Frenchman was asked about the chants directed at him by Olympiacos supporters, and before speaking about the match, he chose to address them with humour. Speaking to , he said: “Oh yes, yes, yes, during the warm-up. They were speaking French, but bad French, you know. The accent was bad, but that's life. It didn't matter, I was focused on my team, on helping them, and I was thinking about our performance on the pitch and the positive reaction from the crowd.”
Attention then turned to whether Madrid depend too heavily on him, a suggestion he strongly pushed back against. “I find that absurd,” he said. “I don't mean to be disrespectful, I'm just saying it's the wrong question. Everyone has their role in the team, and mine is to score goals. How could I claim that without the other players, we wouldn't win matches? Every team has players who fulfill a specific function, and mine is to score… But I don't think about interdependencies or anything like that. That's a topic for journalists… or people outside the team.”
Mbappe defends Xabi Alonso amid pressure
Beyond the individual brilliance, one major storyline centred around Mbappe’s relationship with manager Xabi Alonso, a topic of intense scrutiny following recent frustrations and a three-game winless run. He spoke candidly about their relationship: “I think we need to tell the truth: we are very close. Life isn't always easy, and when you change projects or coaches, it's normal for things to evolve. But I don't think everything that's happened was deserved… we, the players, have to support each other, support the coach, the staff… and stay united.”
He also doubled down on the idea that Madrid fully back Alonso: “You can see it. Tonight, you could see that people were running and eager… we’ve always been loyal to him… We were on a three-game winless streak… but we're here, away from home, in the Champions League… and we're here to win.”
The timing of the Frenchman's comments is notable because they arrive against the backdrop of reports suggesting Madrid’s dressing room had recently split into two camps. According to reports, six players – Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo, Brahim Diaz, Endrick and Ferland Mendy were unhappy with Alonso’s tactical approach and substitutions. Vinicius, seen as the centre of the frustration, reportedly felt his role had been reduced after missing several major starting line-ups and being rotated more than expected.
Meanwhile, other key figures – Mbappe, Thibaut Courtois, Arda Guler, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras were said to be firmly behind the coach, forming a second group that publicly and privately supported the Spaniard’s leadership.
AFPMadrid aim to build momentum after dramatic European escape
This victory ends Madrid’s three-game winless run and injects much-needed momentum back into their season. With Mbappe firing again, Los Blancos turn their attention to the weekend’s La Liga clash against Girona, a key fixture as they try to stay top of the table. The Olympiacos thriller may have started with taunts and tension, but it ended with Mbappe smiling, scoring, and reaffirming that Real Madrid remain firmly in the hunt on all fronts.